1. Field of the Invention
This version of the invention is concerned with the field of devices and methods that provide the appearance of highlighted or thicker hair. More specifically, this version of the invention is concerned with a hair attachment comprised of natural or synthetic hair that is releasably attached directly to the hair of a wearer in order to provide the wearer with the appearance of highlighted and or longer and or thicker hair, without causing any tension to the wearer's scalp and or hair.
It is a common desire among many people to acquire hair that is highlighted, longer and thicker than that which they posses for a variety of reasons, such as self esteem and satisfaction, quickly changing fashion styles, and the like. For example, dark hair, which is in fashion for a period of time, may quickly be replaced as current fashion with lighter, longer fuller hairstyles. As hair grows at the rate of approximately less than one inch per month, many people find that it is exceedingly difficult to acquire a contemporary hairstyle in a reasonable time and without the use of damaging chemicals. Even when someone posses hair of substantial length, the hair may lack thickness or overall volume to achieve a desirable hairstyle. People may also want to add Highlights with out having to cause damage to their own hair.
Various devices and techniques are available in the prior art and in the marketplace that attempt to satisfy the need and desire for highlighted longer and thicker hair. A common well known is a wig. Although wigs provide a quick and simple means to achieve highlighted and or longer hair, they do not present a fully natural appearance, a condition that leads to their recognition when they are being worn. More recently, a variety of more natural hair enhancement techniques have become popular with a variety of users. These consists of hair weaves, hair extensions, hair braiding and the like, whereby natural or synthetic hair is attached to the scalp or existing hair of a wearer by a variety of techniques in order to provide the appearance of highlighted and or longer, thicker hair without the noticeable artifice of a wig. These techniques and systems, which overcome the obvious disadvantage of a wig, also suffer from several many drawbacks as they are relatively expensive and time consuming to acquire and frequently discomfit the wearer during application as well as it may be difficult to maintain without damage to the existing wearers hair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous designs, devices, and methods for lengthening and enhancement have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present version of the invention as they involve relatively elaborate and time consuming techniques and methods as referenced earlier. These techniques are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,745, Hair Extension Process, issued to Cheh on Dec. 17, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,867, Process for Extending Human Hair, issued to Barrington on Apr. 28, 1999. U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,145, Hair Extension and Thickening process, issued to Spann on Feb. 9, 1999. U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,737, Method of Attaching A Hair Weft To The Hair Of A Wearer, issued to Nelson on Mar. 16, 1999. U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,736, Method of Using A Self Adhesive Hair Extension, issued to Townsend on Jun. 18, 2002 discloses a hair attachment device designed to provide the appearance of longer, thicker, and fuller hair. The attachment consists of a quantity of natural or synthetic human hair that is sewn to a rectangular shaped, self adhesive tape having a removable back, which is applied to the scalp or hair of a wearer in releasable engagement thereon. While a hair attachment is relatively simple to apply, the self adhesive tape provides a less than adequate means to secure the ends of the strands of natural or synthetic hair, which can become prematurely separated from the self adhesive tape and become unusable in the future.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved method and device for providing the appearance of highlighted, longer and thicker hair in a manner that is relatively simple and inexpensive to achieve. In these respects, the present version of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture and with the use of readily available materials.